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(CTV.ca)  Health Canada is proposing to sharply tighten standards for radon in homes and public buildings to reduce the risk of lung cancer.

"A lifetime exposure to radon is an increased risk of your getting lung cancer," Pat Wall of the Radon Advisory Group told CTV News.

The new rules would require remedial measures when average radon concentrations in a living space exceed 200 becquerels per cubic meter . Canada's current standard permits 800 becquerels per cubic metre of air.

A becquerel measures the radioactivity of a radioactive source -- a measure of the disintegration of one radioactive atom per second, according to the Health Canada website.

The new guidelines will state that the higher the radon concentrations, the sooner remedial measures would have to be undertaken.

The proposed guidelines would bring Canada into line with many other countries which have already brought in lower limits.

"Health Canada has recommended a four-fold reduction in the guidelines based on new scientific evidence," said the agency's Dr. Jack Cornett.


Radon is an odourless and colourless gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in the soil.

While it's not hazardous outdoors where it's diluted by air, it becomes dangerous when it enters homes through basement cracks, hollow support posts, openings for utility connections and the water supply. Radon levels are generally highest in basements and crawl spaces because these areas are nearest to the source and are usually poorly ventilated.

"People should test their homes for Radon no matter where they are living," said Wall.

Radon is considered the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Health Canada says 1,600 Canadians died of lung cancer caused by radon in 2000, and that figure could be reduced by a third with tighter limits.

Radon levels in indoor air can be lowered in various ways, such as sealing cracks in floors and walls or increasing the ventilation rate of the building. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to determine radon levels in their home.



Source: CTV.ca
Author: CTV.ca